Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-12
PETROLEUM AS FUEL.
The Recent Experiments Made by a
Railroad C0mpsDy-The Re-
suit Quite Favorable,
But the Prospect Not Coed for Any Gem
oral Use of Petroleum as Fuel
for Locomotives.

The fact that the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company has been making experiments
in the use of petroleum as fuel on some
of it's engines has already been a.
nounced. 1t is interesting to know that
all the experiments have been attended
with success. In speaking of the matter
7. \. Ely, superintendent of the motive
power OF the company, gave information
ton which cannot fail to prove inter
esting to the reader and to the general
public.
He said: "For some months passen-
ger locomotive has been running west of
Altoona, and within g few days has made
several trips between Altoona and Pitts
burg, hauling regular passenger trains,
the fuel used being the residuum of oil
retineries. The attention Of the officers
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad was attract
ed to reports published in English en-
cheering journals in regard to method
in use on the Grazi Tsaritzin Railway in
Southeastern Russia. where oil was burn
ed upon large number of locomotives.
ga representative was sent to Russia,
who found in successful use upon all the
locomotives of the Grazi Tsaritzia Rail
way method for burning residuum,
which method had been developed by Mr.
Thomas Urquhsrt, locomotive superin-
tendent of the road. In applying Mr..
Urquhart's system to the Pennsylvania
Railroad locomotives it was necessary to
make number of notifications, due 10
the fact that the speed is greater and the
size of the Locomotives much in excess CT
those used in Russia.
THE PRACTICAL RESULTS.
"The final results, however, have been
very satisfactory, and 1t is indeed o
novelty to see fast express train run
ming without smoke or clnders. The
work of the fireman is ideal, consisting
simply in the management Of small
hand wheel, which controls the amount
of oil delivered to the fire box, the
device being so sensitive that the slight
est turn of the wheel enables him TO
supply more or less oil to meet Sny
change in the condition Of the work to be
done by the locomotive. In the trips re-
ferred to between Pittsburg and Altoona
the average number of cars hauled was
seven, and on one occasion twenty i've
minutes were made up on the schedule
time Of the day express, the locomotive
stesming very freely at ell times. The
average amount of oil consumed on the
westward trip was 45l1 OPS pounds, and
on the eastward trip 5985.20 pounds.
admitting that the practical part OF
burning oil in locomotive Or stationary
boilers has been successfully worked out
as described, which we msy safely
do after the information gained
from the Pennsylvania Railroad and the
GraZi TsaritZin Railway, we are led
to look at the matter from commercial
standpoint IS relating to the economy il
the use of oil, as compared with coal
We have the following data, which &rt
the result of careful experiment, con
formed by chemical examination of Goa
and oil.
OIL AND COAL COMPARED.
zone pound of petroleum successfully
burned will generate as much steam
under the same circumstances as would
one and three-quarter pounds of coal. Ii
locomotive practice, when the cost c.
handling fuel, disposing of ashes, anC
the diminished repairs to the fire boxes
of locomotives is taken into considera
ton, it is found that one pound o.
oil is as valuable as two pounds of coal
| The oil preferred weighs on an average
seven and three-tenths pounds per gal
| Ion; therefore, six and one-helf barrel:
of Oil, at forty-two gallons per barrel
would make exactly one ton. In order tt
ascertain the relative economy for hea
production, the cost of six and one-hslt
| barrels, divided by one and three. fourths
| gives an equivalent value of coal.
! These figures will vary when heavy OF
light oil is used. The prospect for any
general use of petroleum fol
fuel is not favorable. The
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad alone burns
about 5000 tons of coal each day, which
would consume over one third of the to-
tai dsily production of the United States
1t could hardly be questioned, however
that there is demand for limited ust
OF oil SIS tuel for stationary boiler pur
poses in localities where smoke and Gin
ders from coal are Objectionable, and il
locomotives running in cities and on high
class trains where it is possible that al
increased expenditure would be war
| ranted.
"E7en this limited use, should it com.
about, would, in the aggregate, amour
| to very large consumption of oil
Judging from past experiences IN matter!
| Of this kind, the natural tendency would
be for refneys to increase their price, ant
possibly to such an extent that those de.
string to use the Oil could not afford *
sdo Neo in competition with coal, ant
/ would have to seek some other means o
EobtAining the advantages which the OF
Mad given em."-[ Pittsburg Cor
ancinnati Commercial Gazette. IS,
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UNITS SAEs for sk assesses
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